Videos Show Spiraling Traffic Mess Outside Reagan Airport

Metro closed the station serving Reagan National Airport on Friday ahead of Veterans Day weekend, spurring a traffic and commuting mess that spilled into Arlington and other Metro stations. (Published Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018)

People walked to Reagan National Airport and waited in hourslong lines for Metro bridge bus service as the rain, the holiday weekend and the closure of two Metro stations contributed to a nightmare Friday evening commute.

The National Airport and Crystal City stations along the Blue and Yellow lines are closed through Monday, with shuttle buses replacing trains between Pentagon City and Braddock, but riders shared photos of huge crowds waiting to get on those buses.

More Metro buses were added Saturday morning, with some bypassing Crystal City to serve the airport more quickly. The worst traffic had subsided, but travelers should continue to budget extra time to get to and from the airport.

WMATA apologized in a statement, saying the mix of traffic and weather caused shuttles to be delayed as the backups rippled through Arlington.

Riders didn't move much faster once they got on the buses or in cabs as major gridlock affected Crystal City and the George Washington Parkway at National Airport. The airport pointed to the Metro closures as the cause of the gridlock there.

Passengers arriving on flights and trying to depart from the airport should use caution on the curb and only cross at marked crosswalks. Consider meeting your ride in a terminal garage where parking is free up to 60 mins.

At the airport, people sprinted from cars to the terminals and gates to get to their flights on time.

Some travelers decided to walk to the airport, with people dragging their luggage on the GW Parkway.

Woman Bails on Bus Bridge Plan, Walks to National Airport

Jackie Bensen spoke to a woman pushing a shoulder to Reagan National Airport after the Friday evening commute became a nightmare with gridlock around Reagan National Airport and long lines for Metro shuttle buses as Metro closed two stations for weekend maintenance.

(Published Friday, Nov. 9, 2018)

“We had to wait for the elevator,” said Elizabeth McDowell, who decided to walk to the airport from a Metro station, pushing a baby in a stroller. “They weren’t letting people up the escalators unless you were getting on the shuttle buses. So they were trying to manage that, but I don’t think this system was working that well. So I tried to get an Uber. It was like $70. And I have to catch a flight in an hour and 20 minutes, so I just started hoofing it, hoping to catch a taxi. I haven’t caught one yet.”

Traffic finally started to ease about 8 p.m. Metro tweeted an update about the same time.

"Our operations team is currently monitoring the shuttle crowding between Pentagon City and Braddock Road, including National Airport," Metro said in the tweet. "The mix of traffic and weather are impacting our ability to continuously move our shuttles."

Our Operations team is currently monitoring the shuttle crowding between Pentagon City & Braddock Road, including National Airport. The mix of traffic & weather are impacting our ability to continuously move our shuttles. We apologize for the delays this is causing. #wmata 1/2

#wmata suggests for customers at Pentagon City to consider Metroway bus service between Pentagon City, Crystal City and Braddock Road. Those at National Airport will unfortunately experience longer waits while we move more buses in that direction. 2/2

Fredericksburg Line - Commuter rail service between Spotsylvania and Union Station, connecting Franconia-Springfield, Crystal City, King St. (Alexandria) to L'Enfant Plaza and Union Station in Downtown DC.

Manassas Line - Commuter rail service between Broad Run/Manassas and Union Station, connecting King St (Alexandria) and Crystal City to L'Enfant Plaza and Union Station in Downtown DC.